Shoe lengthener



Sept. 8, 1942. J. J. scHlLLE-R sHoE LENGTHENER Filed Nov, 17, 1941 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVILTNTOR. 15a/fmt Sept 8; 1942- J. J. SCHILLER.

` SHOE LENGTHENER 2. .Sheets-'Sheet 2 i Filed Nov. 17, 1941 INVENTOR z'ff'( 56a J' Sc' N f M3 i ATT@ Patented Sept. 8, 1942 2,295,359 snor LENGTHENEr.

John J. Schiller, Cicero, Ill.

Application November 17, 1941, Serial No. 419,419

9 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in shoe stretching and lengthening devices, and has for one of its objects the provision of means whereby footwear, either boots or shoes or the like, may be easily stretched longitudinally or lengthened and to stretch same a limited extent in other directions, this being accomplished by a single hand screw.

A further object of my invention is the provision of a shoe stretching device adapted to exert its stretching action principally in directions longitudinally of the shoes, and in which two separate foot-form ball and heel members, made of wood or other suitable material are operated to alternately move toward each other or separate, in the use of the device.

A further object of my invention is the provision of a longitudinal foot wear stretching device which includes a separate ball or toe member and a heel member, each having laterally extending cross pins therein, and suitable pivoted elements connecting said cross pins and having portions thereof slidably engaging each other, and hand screw means whereby said elements are selectively drawn together or operated to cause corresponding movements of said ball portion and said heel member.

A further object of my invention is the pro- Vision of a shoe stretching device having separate heel and toe members connected together by slidably engaging guide and connecting elements, one slidable with respect to the other; a hand screw threaded in the element Vconnected to the heel ball and having an end rotatably connected to the element of the ball or toe member whereby rotation of said hand screw will thrust said ball or toe member away from said heel member and converse rotation thereof will draw said members together.

A further object of my invention is the provision of a novel guide means adapted to maintain separate toe and heel elements in aligned positions and in proper relative positions, to thereby maintain relatively easy rotation of the hand screw means and prevent binding thereof incident to movements of one of said members with respect to the other.

Other and further objects of my invention will be apparent from the following description and claims.

On the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a top plan View of my novel shoe lengthener and stretcher showing certain parts broken away.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged perspective view of the guide element or guide member which is connected to the heel member and which sldably engages a recess of the toe member.

Fig. 3 is a cross sectional view taken on line 3-3 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a cross lsectional view taken on line i-ll of Fig. 1.

Fig. 5 is an enlarged elevational View of the bracket-likevanchoring element which forms the connection between the hand screw and the heel member.

Fig. 6 is a side elevational View of a slightly modified form of my invention wherein the inner end of the hand screw is rotatably connected to the toe member.

Fig. 7 is a top plan View taken from above looking at Fig. 6.

Fig. 8 is an enlarge-d cross sectional View showing the inner end of the hand screw mounted for rotation within the cylindrical portion of the lever member which is pivotally connected to the toe portion.

Referring to the drawings, numeral I9 designates a foot-form ball or toe member simulating the forward portion of a foot or of a shoe last. Toe member IE! has a bifurcation or recess I I and a coincident relatively narrower recess Ila, said recess II opening on the rear end of the said member I9, and also has a transversely extending passage I2 extending from one side thereof to the other, and which provides a bearing or journalling surface for a metal cross pin I3 as illustrated in Fig. 1. Said transverse passage I2 and cross pin I3 traverse the inner reduced portion of the recess i I, as illustrated in Fig. 1.

Numeral Ill is a heel member preferably made of wood or other suitable material, and which simulates in shape the heel portion of a shoe last or human foot. Said heel member is bifurcated from its upper surface to form a relatively wide upwardly opening recess i5 which is reduced toward its inner end to form a narrower central reduced recess IG, both of said recesses extending parallel to the longitudinal axis of the members Iii and Ill. Substantially right angled inwardly facing opposed shoulders Il are formed at the junctures of the side surfaces defining said recesses I5 and IS respectively.

Heel member I is provided with a transverse passage I'la which is perpendicular to and which traverses the lower recess I6 as indicated in Fig. 4, said passage Ila providing a seat or bearing surface in which a cross pin I8 lies.

Referring to Fig. 5, numeral I9 designates a sleeve-like metal bracket or anchoring element which is internally threaded and which has an angularly projecting integral extension 20 which is provided with an aperture or passage ZI extending therethrough from one side to the other.

In Fig. 2 I have shown a metal channel-like guide element or guide member 22 which is of U-shaped cross section, and which is provided at one end with an aperture 23 of a size sufficient to receive the anchoring extension 29. Guide member 20 is of a size so as to loosely iit into the heel member recess I and so that its forward end will slide in the recess or passage II of the toe member I0 as said members are moved toward or away from each other. This guide member 22 is an important and advantageous feature of my invention in that it maintains the toe and heel members in alignment and in proper relative positions so that the threadingly engaging elements do not bind in the use and operation of the device.

Numeral 24 designates a yoke member or lever, or lever element, having one apertured reduced end mounted within recess Ila and pivoted on cross pin I3. The outer portion of yoke or lever member 24 terminates in a cylinder or sleeve 25 which is internally threaded, preferably with female threads of vdirection opposite to the direction of internal threads of anchoring element I9.

Numeral 26 designates a rod-like screw which, over substantially its outer one-half portion, is externally threaded with left hand threads to a substantially mid-point annular ange 21. The portion of screw 26 rearward of flange 21 is threaded with right hand threads as shown in Fig. 1. The outer end of screw 2B extends substantially outwardly and rearwardly of the rea-rmost curved surface of heel member I4 and has a suitable metal handle 28 secured thereon by welding or equivalent means and also has a stop collar 29 secured thereon a short distance from said handle and at a point to limit the rotation of said screw at a point so that the left hand threads of the screw 26 will not disengage the sleeve 25.

In assembling the aforedescribed parts, the left hand threaded end of screw 26 is threaded into sleeve 25 before said lever 24 is connected to pin I3. Then the right hand threaded end of screw 26 is threaded into and through bracket or anchoring element I 9 whereafter the handle 28 and stop collar 29 are securely mounted thereon in substantially the positions shown in Fig. 1. Then the extension is inserted through aperture 23 of guide 22 and the said extension is inserted into the inner recess I6 of heel member I4, whereupon the cross pin I8 is inserted into position. Said cross pin may be of a size so that it ts snugly into the transverse passage IIa of said heel member. Then the apertured end of lever 24 is pivotally connected to toe member I6 by insertion of pin I3 into passage I2.

Referring to Figs. 7 and 8, in this form the external right hand threads on the screw 26 extend substantially over the entire length of the screw as illustrated. The screw 26 terminates in an unthreaded end portion 3l) which is provided with an annular groove 3| as illustrated in the enlarged fragmentary view of Fig. 8. Said grooved screw end 30 is rotatably mounted within the sleeve or cylinder portion a of yoke or lever member 24 by a metal pin 32 which passes through suitably located opposed apertures formed in the sleeve 25a. The: intermediate portion of said pin 32 lies in the annular groove 3I and prevents longitudinal movement of screw 26 with respect to sleeve 25a.

As illustrated in Fig. 8, the sleeve 25a, has its inner end closed by a suitable plug 33 which is secured in the end of the passage of sleeve 25a by means of a suitable metal cross pin 34.

In the structure of Figs. 7 and 8, the operation of the screw for the separation or drawing together of the heel and toe members is accomplished by rotation of the handle 28 and screw 26 in the desired direction. When screw 26 is rotated, the side surfaces of the groove 3| slidably engage pin 32 to cause either separation or drawing together of the heel and toe members. As before described, the expanding or separating movement of said heel and toe members will be transmitted to lengthen or stretch longitudinally the shoe in which the device is temporarily mounted.

I desire to call attention to the fact that in the structure Figs. 'l and 8, the heel and toe members are mounted in proper alignment and relative positions by the slidable engagement of the surface of the yoke member or lever 24 within the channel-like guide member 25a. As illustrated in perspective in Fig. 2, the forward end of said guide member 22 being within the endopening recess II of the toe member I0 as hereinbefore described. In this described construction, there is absolutely no binding and excessive friction between the end of the screw within the yoke or lever member and no binding or excessive friction between the threaded screw and the cylindrical portion of the metal bracket-like anchoring element I9 as all the parts are maintained in alignment during use.

I am aware that various changes may be made in the embodiment of the invention herein specically described without departing from or sacricing any of the advantages of the invention or any feature thereof, and nothing herein shall be construed as limitations upon the invention, its concept or structural embodiment as to the whole or any part thereof.

I claim as my invention:

1. In a shoe stretcher, a heel member and a toe member of foot-like form, said members being bifurcated and forming recesses; thrust pins mounted in said members respectively and extending transversely thereof; a channel-like mounting element in the bifurcation of the heel member; an internally threaded sleeve member having an integral extension pivotally connected to the thrust pin of said heel member, and a hand screw threadingly engaging said sleeve and connected at its forward end to said pin of said toe member, whereby rotation of said screw separates and retracts said members.

2. In a device for stretching shoes longitudinally, a heel member, a forward member having an upper recess therein; thrust pins mounted in said heel and forward members and transversely thereof; a threaded sleeve having a porticn connected to the pin of said heel member; a threaded yoke having one end pivotally connected to the pin of said forward member, and a right and left hand threaded hand screw threadingly engaging said sleeve and said yoke, whereby rotation thereof will expand or retract said members.

3. In a device for stretching shoes longitudinally, a recessed heel member; a forward foot form member having an end opening recess therein; thrust pins in said members positioned perpendicularly to the longitudinal axis thereof; a cylindrical anchoring element; a yoke connected at one end to the pin of said forward member and having a threaded passage therein, and a hand screwhaving opp-ositely directed threads on its front and back portions engaging said anchoring element and said yoke whereby rotation of said screw separates and draws together said members.

4. In a device for stretching shoes longitudinally, a toe member and a heel member, said toe member having an end opening recess therein, said heel member having an upwardly opening bifurcation therein; cross pins in said heel and toe members respectively; a lever member having an end pivoted on said toe member cross pin and having its opposite end passaged and internally threaded; an internally threaded angular anchoring sleeve element in the recess of said heel member and connected to said heel member cross pin; a hand screw having its forward portion threadingly engaging said lever member passage and having its rear end portion threaded in a direction opposite to the forward end threads, said rear end portion threads engaging said sleeve element and a handle on the end of said hand screw, the rotation of said screw being adapted to alternately expand or draw together said heel and toe members.

5. In a device for stretching shoes longitudinally, a toe member and a heel member, said toe member having an end opening recess, said heel member having an upwardly opening bifurcation therein; cross pins in said heel and toe members respectively; a lever member having an end pivoted on said toe member cross pin and having its opposite end passaged and internally threaded; a channel-like passaged seat element in said heel member recess; an internally threaded angular anchoring sleeve element in said seat element and having a cross pin-engaging portion eX- tending through said seat element passage and connected to said cross pin; a hand screw having its forward portion threadingly engaging said lever member passage and having its rear end portion threaded in a direction opposite to the forward end threads, said rear end portion threads engaging said sleeve element, and a handle on the end of said hand screw, the rotation of said screw being adapted to alternately expand or draw together said heel and toe members.

6. In a stretcher for longitudinally stretching shoes, a transversely passaged wooden toe member; a bifurcated heel member; a cross pin in said toe member; a transverse anchoring pin in said heel member; an internally threaded thrust sleeve-like bracket having an apertured integral extension connected to said anchoring pin of said heel member; an internally threaded yokelike member connected at one end to said cross pin of said toe member; and a head screw having oppositely directed external threads, one of its opposite end portions engaging said yoke-like member and said thrust sleeve, the rotation of said hand screw in one direction being adapted to separate said blocks and the rotation thereof in the other direction being adapted to draw the same together.

7. In a device for longitudinally stretching shoes, a toe member having an end opening recess; a heel member having an upwardly opening recess; cross pins in said toe member and in said heel member and traversing said recesses respectively; a thrust lever pivoted on said cross pin of said toe member and having an integral longitudinally passaged outer end; an internally threaded anchoring and thrust bracket in said heel member recess and having an extension thereof mounted on the heel member cross pin; and a hand screw threaded in said thrust bracket and having its inner end grooved and anchored in said outer end of said thrust lever, the rotation of said hand screw in one direction being adapted to separate said heel and toe members, and opposite rotation thereof being adapted to draw said members together.

8. In a device for longitudinally stretching shoes, a toe member having an end opening recess; a heel member having an upwardly opening recess; cross pins in said toe member and in said heel member and traversing said recesses respectively; a thrust lever pivoted on said cross pin of said toe member and having an integral longitudinally passaged outer end; a channel-like guide having one end in the toe member recess and its other end slidably engaged in said end opening of said toe member; an internally threaded anchoring and thrust bracket in said guide and having an extension thereof mounted on the heel member cross pin; and a hand screw threaded in said thrust bracket and having its inner end grooved and anchored in said outer end of said thrust lever, the rotation of said hand screw in one direction being adapted to separate said heel and toe members and opposite rotation i thereof being adapted to draw said members together.

9. In a device for longitudinally stretching shoes; a toe member having an end opening recess; a heel member having an upwardly opening recess; cross pins in said toe member and in said heel member and traversing said recesses respectively; a thrust lever pivoted on said cross pin of said toe member and having an integral longitudinally passaged outer end; an internally threaded anchoring and thrust bracket in said heel member recess and having an extension thereof mounted on the heel member cross pin; a hand screw threadingly engaging said thrust bracket, the end of said screw having an annular groove therein; said grooved screw end being rotatably anchored in said passaged end of said thrust lever whereby rotation of said hand screw will move said toemember toward or away from said heel member; and a handle secured on the outer end of said screw.

JOHN J. SCHILLER. 

